AOC Loses Conditional Endorsement from Democratic Socialists of America

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has lost her conditional endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America.

The organization announced the revoked endorsement in a memo to supporters on Wednesday, claiming she is not doing enough to support Palestine.

The DSA had voted to endorse Ocasio-Cortez on June 23, provided she fulfilled the following demands:

  • Publicly opposes all funding to Israel, including the Iron Dome
  • Participates regularly in the DSA Federal Socialists in Office Committee
  • Publicly opposes all criminalization of Anti-Zionism, such as bills advancing the IHRA definition which conflates criticism of Israel with anti-semitism
  • Publicly supports BDS (Boycott, Divest, and Sanction) to end Israeli settler-colonialism

The memo stated, “Because we have not seen evidence of AOC meeting these conditions, and at the request of the NYC-DSA SC, the NPC is withdrawing our conditional endorsement of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, although she will remain endorsed by our New York City chapter.”

“We recognize that AOC has taken many courageous positions on Palestine such as co-sponsoring several House Resolutions (3103, 786, 496), naming Israel’s genocide as well as opposing House Resolution 894,” the memo continued.

“However, members have raised their concerns regarding a number of her votes, including a vote in favor of H.Res.888, conflating opposition to Israel’s ‘right to exist’ with antisemitism. AOC also co-signed a press release on April 20, 2024, that ‘support[s] strengthening the Iron Dome and other defense systems.’”

The announcement added, “Finally, AOC recently hosted a public panel with leaders from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, lobbyists for the IHRA definition of antisemitism. On this panel, anti-Zionism and antisemitism were conflated and boycotting Zionist institutions was condemned. This sponsorship is a deep betrayal to all those who’ve risked their welfare to fight Israeli apartheid and genocide through political and direct action in recent months, and in decades past.”

The congresswoman had not publicly responded to the DSA’s memo by early Friday morning.